Symphonies

The view from our new deck has already brought wonders - deer, snakes, red tailed hawks. I had gone out this morning around 6 to hopefully catch something interesting happening. In my mind I wished for the owls I had heard a few weekends ago in a pre-dawn symphony just out of sight beyond the woodline.

I had gone back inside to wait for morning wake-ups, but caught something through the window as it flew into an oak tree about 20 feet from the house. I caught it for a minute from the window, and snuck the binoculars outside for a quick peek. And now I have a face to go with the songs, and I was right about it being a Great Horned Owl. After about 5 seconds, I was joined by two small overly eager munchkins and when I turned back around it was gone.

I didn't get a picture of him, but here is the video I took when they were singing in the woods that past morning (You might need to turn the sound up to hear it):

Yesterday was our official first moving trip down here. We got a few things put away and Mike made meatball subs for dinner before cutting the rather long grass after our two week absence.

Then we got one of those life-changing phone calls that we knew was coming but was still hard to hear. His dad had passed away that morning.

Though I'm glad for his new-found peace, I will miss his stories from the airforce, and the ones about the place I grew up as it was 70 years ago. He was so kind to Brent and I during our stay there, calling him grandson from the day we moved in, and always sharing his lollipops and smiles when we crossed paths.

And I'm sure he had a hand in all the feathers I found yesterday, and in the clearing of the clouds last night so we could watch the meteor shower in the new-moon darkness, which I had put on my calender but forgotten about with all the activity of the last week.

Rest peacefully :)